Stories of a 1001 countries

Diversity on stage

From within the Leuven network of ethnically diverse organizations, participants from 'Kom Binnen' (a discussion group for practicing Dutch), and newcomers came forward. Based on the idea that 'the stage is yours', everyone with an interest came together for the first time in September. After a tour of the theater, the first brainstorming session took place. “That evening it became clear how art and theater have different meanings in each cultural tradition. But also that art connects us all and can bring us together,” says Lothe Ramakers.

In November, a second meeting took place with musicians, dancers, actors, spoken-word artists and graphic artists. From professionals to amateurs and enthusiasts. But above all, people with a great desire to tell their story.

So much similarity in all those differences

People with roots in Ukraine, Eritrea, Russia, China, Burundi, Ghana, Poland, India ... dared to take the challenge and jump in at the deep end. They were expertly guided by Anissa Zahi, a young writer of theater texts, creator and performer. In the spring of 2025, she will graduate from the Artistic-Educational Master Drama program at Luca School of Arts. She has performed in 'Blik' by the Nieuwstedelijk and is in residence at BAC ART LAB. Together with the hosts of the evening, Ella, Richies and Xingrui, she wove the performances of all the artists together into a captivating whole.

Love was the theme of the evening, with the home situation always shining through in the background: homesickness, cherished traditions and stories, the fear and pain of war and violence and, despite it all, love for the homeland and for each other. “The theme of love also fits seamlessly into the story of LOV2030, our candidacy for European Capital of Culture. After all, love brings people together. It is the most radical connection in a person's life,” says alderman for culture Bert Cornillie.

To be continued.

30CC is a home where everyone is welcome. So many stories live here that tell us something about the world. ‘I see ’Stories from 1001 countries' as a necessary project. It is fantastic to get to know the richness of all those cultures, about which we often know relatively little. They offer new perspectives and show what the world could look like. This performance was an experiment to give shape to that in practice and a successful way to let people discover the theater. Together with all our partners, we will certainly be following up on this unifying project”, says Bert Cornillie, alderman for Culture.

For Anissa, too, directing people from diverse backgrounds was a wonderful experience: ‘This process reminded me of the statement ’The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know'. It was extremely fascinating to hear people talk. You experience the differences, but at the same time I also noticed so many similarities between all those cultures and people. I still think it is important to ask each other questions and to look at things with different eyes. For example, an Eritrean dance is not just an ordinary choreography. There is a whole story behind it. I felt a great sense of solidarity. I also grew a new awareness of my privileges. That of love, for example. I am close to my family and friends every day, I even have to make time for them. But many do not share that happiness or have lost it due to war. We cannot imagine the consequences of that.”